‘Strongman’ image a facade of cowardice, says Karapatan

THE alliance for the advancement of human rights Karapatan over the weekend hurled brickbats at President Duterte, calling his “strongman” persona as a mere “facade of cowardice of a megalomaniac.”

“Like all other previous and current despots and tyrants, his so-called strength is an expression of his greed for power. What he truly fears is the people’s exercise of our sovereign will to exact justice and accountability,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.

Karapatan issued the statement in response to the latest issue of Time magazine that featured Duterte alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the cover with the title, “Rise of the Strongman.”

“I am not really a strongman,” responded Duterte as he spoke before over 6,000 elementary school principals at the SMX Convention Center in Davao on Friday.

For Karapatan, “strongmen” like Duterte exercise power “through state terror and violence with impunity, couched in populist language that misleads the public and trains the guns of his armed forces and police on his perceived enemies — the people.”

Palabay said, “His ‘strength’ comes from dehumanizing the urban poor and workers by calling them ‘drug addicts’ and ‘lazy criminals,’ by tagging activists and political dissenters as ‘terrorists,’ and by branding any and all criticism to his anti-people policies as forms of ‘destabilization.’”

Duterte said he was just fulfilling his campaign promise to eradicate illegal drugs and corruption in government.

Putin, Orban and Erdogan have been widely criticized over the way their perceived intolerance for dissent.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Russia, under Putin, “tightened control over the already-shrinking space for free expression, association, and assembly and intensified persecution of independent critics. Parliament adopted laws expanding the power of law enforcement and security agencies, including to control online speech.”

Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, has admitted that he wanted to end liberal democracy in Hungary, according to HRW. His grip on government has been described as “suffocating democracy” in Hungary.

Meanwhile, Erdogan has been criticized for politization of media in Turkey. His critics said nearly 2,000 journalists lost their jobs because they were critical of Erdogan’s government, and moves to restructure the ownership of private media corporations are intimidating Turkish media.

Here, Duterte has cussed at media owners, catcalled and confronted reporters perceived to be critical of his administration, and his government has moved to shut down the media company Rappler.

Said Duterte: “You use your freedom of expression. I have never sent anybody to jail for talking or bad-mouthing me.”

The Philippine News Agency (PNA) quoted Duterte as claiming that he has never sent any citizen to jail for criticizing him because it is their right. Yet at least one of his staunchest critics, Sen. Leila de Lima, has been jailed after Duterte accused her of having links to the illegal drug trade.

“For all I care, the security guard, police, general, NPA (New People’s Army) or (Joma) Sison, or a teacher or a gardener can criticize me and b**s**t me to no end. You know why? Because you are my employers and I am an employee,” he said.

Duterte said activists can shout all they want against him and his policies, noting that he was even encouraging them to exercise their freedom of expression.

“But if you are a foreigner, that is another thing,” he said.

Duterte said he would send to jail any foreigner who interferes in political activities in the country, even if they are members of religious groups.

But contrary to Duterte’s statement that he has not put his critics in jail, Karapatan claimed its documentation puts the number of activists arrested and still currently detained since the start of the Duterte administration at 173, out of the 503 political prisoners.

Palabay said, “Majority of them are peasant and trade union leaders, members of people’s organizations and organizers who have been working with the poor communities to push for genuine agrarian reform, living wages and security of tenure, accessible social services, among others.”

Reads part of the Karapatan statement: “His vengefulness against his critics who are vocal against human rights violations in the country has resulted to the drawing up of a fake terror list which includes UN experts and human rights defenders and to the daily threats and harassment against activists. Laced with so much vitriol, his vindictive orders and pronouncements against foreign observers and missionaries like Sr. Patricia Fox have resulted to violations on the exercise of free speech and expression. His mad thirst for sole control of power is driving him to persecute officials in other branches of government who do not share his propensity for brazen acts of violence.”

Earlier, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said regardless of slant, the President has demonstrated strong and decisive leadership.

“A quality appreciated by Filipinos as evidenced by the Chief Executive’s high satisfaction, approval, trust and performance ratings,” Roque said.

Filipinos, he said, have learned not to take Duterte literally with his colorful language but they have taken seriously the issues the President has espoused, such as the war on drugs and crime.

“The drug problem is not only a Philippine concern. It is a global burden and the Philippines’ war on drugs has been acknowledged by countries and leaders, including Indonesia, China, President Donald Trump and police leaders from other Southeast Asian countries,” Roque said.

He said the President’s brand of justice strictly adheres to the rule of law where the dismantling of the drug apparatus ensures the proper investigation of all drugelated killings.